Relays are electromechanical switches operated by a flow of electricity in one circuit and controlling the flow of electricity in another circuit. A typical relay consists basically of an electromagnet with a soft iron bar, called an armature, held close to it. A movable contact is connected to the armature in such a way that the contact is held in its normal position by a spring. When the electromagnet is energized, it exerts a force on the armature that overcomes the pull of the spring and moves the contact so as to either complete or break a circuit. When the electromagnet is de-energized, the contact returns to its original position. Variations on this mechanism are possible: some relays have multiple contacts; some are encapsulated; some have built-in circuits that delay contact closure after actuation; some, as in early telephone circuits, advance through a series of positions step by step as they are energized and de-energized, and some relays are of latching type.
Relays are classified by their number of poles and number of throws. The pole of a relay is the terminal common to every path. Each position that the pole can connect to is called a throw. A relay can be made of n poles and m throws. For example, a single-pole-single-throw relay (SPST) has one pole and one throw. A single-pole-double-throw (SPDT) relay has one pole and two throws. A double-pole-double-throw (DPDT) relay has two poles, each with two simultaneously controlled throws.
Relays are then classified into forms. Relay forms are categorized by the number of poles and throws as well as the default position of the relay. Three common relay forms are: A, B, and C. Form A relays are SPST with a default state of normally open. Form B relays are SPST with a default state of normally closed. Form C relays are SPDT and break the connection with one throw before making contact with the other (break-before-make).
Latching relays are the types of relays which can maintain closed and open contact positions without energizing an electromagnet. Short current pulses are used to temporally energize the electromagnet and switch the relay from one contact position to the other. An important advantage of latching relays is that they do not consume power (actually they do not need a power supply) in the quiescent state.
A recent U.S. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 7,482,899 B2) describes a new type of electromechanical relay which employs a movable first magnet and a nearby third electromagnet. The movable first magnet is permanently magnetized with a magnetic moment and has a first end and a second end. The third electromagnet, when energized, produces a third magnetic field which is primarily perpendicular to the magnetization direction of the first movable magnet and exerts a magnetic torque on the first magnet to force the first magnet to rotate and closes an electrical conduction path at the first end. Changing the direction of the electrical current in the third electromagnet changes the direction of the third magnetic field and thus the direction of the magnetic torque on the first magnet, and causes the first magnet to rotate in an opposite direction and opens the electrical conduction path at the first end and closes an electrical conduction path at the second end. A second magnet is provided to hold the first magnet in a stable position.
A purpose of the present invention is to provide a new and improved electromechanical relay which is in the form of double-pole-double-throw.